Disenchanted with the medical community - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Zeraph · 06-11-2009, 03:13 PM

Sorry I'm not sure how this is going to come out, may just be a rant. But tell me your experiences too, might make me feel better.

So as some of you know I've had a lot of medical problems the last 4 years. They don't seem to be critical, i.e. not cancer. But they remain undiagnosed (IMO). Technically they've been diagnosed, but by different doctors as different things. Let me explain.

Among my many symptoms two of them are muscle tremors and severe episodic vertigo. The psychiatrist thinks its panic attacks (that last for several days without a heartbeat increase? ><) The neurologist thinks its migraines (without any pain or auras?!!) The general practitioner thinks its labyrinthitis (recurring for years?!) and the ENT thinks its meniere's. (an exclusion diagnosis ><)

Oh and my allergist thinks its...surprise! Allergies!!

Oh, and this is just what they currently think. Several have changed their diagnosis. One even thought possibly epilepsy.

So who am I supposed to believe? None of their diagnosis' are fully accurate nor do any of their treatments work. What's the point of going to a doc if he's only going to diagnose you based on his specialty?

And getting them to try and explore other options?! Sooo draining and sometimes impossible.

The worst part is they (all but one) have shown almost no sympathy or done any extra work to try and help me. If anything most have worked against me seeking extra help from other doctors.

I'm getting so frustrated.

Willravel · 06-11-2009, 03:22 PM

Off the top of my head, I'd suggest they call each other and compare notes. Let them all put their heads together and see if they can do what they're getting paid to do: to heal you.

I hope everything ends up well.

Xerxys · 06-11-2009, 03:41 PM

I'm sorry to hear about this Zeraph ... one thing though, I am glad you have been seeing professionals but I bite my tongue in the thought of how much trouble you must go through or how much it must cost you for all these 'opinions' alone.

Did you ever get health insurance??

I did in fact read the title of the thread it said "disenchanted" but seriously now ... if your going to get better, you need this.

Zeraph · 06-11-2009, 04:27 PM

They do that already Will, as far as I know. They all have my records. I doubt I could get them to meet face to face for an actual debate. If only.

Yeah I have health insurance now. Good memory. Still doesn't make up for the emotional and logistical problems though. Why is it when doctors are an hour late I have to sit and wait for them, but when I'm late they move on and charge me 25 bucks? Where's MY 25 bucks.

Glory's Sun · 06-11-2009, 04:47 PM

ahh I completely know what you mean. I've been disenchanted for years now. Even one of the top medical institutions in the nation can't figure it out. One doctor being sued, many others baffled and still nothing. What a wonderful little piece of work we are eh?

wooÐs · 06-11-2009, 04:50 PM

I'm with you.

I've been dealing with something since 2003. Unexplained upper abdominal pain that has me kicking, screaming and crying like a baby. It comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason except possibly stress - not diet or anything. I just end up in the ER, get my sweet shot of dilaudid and I'm then sent home with vicodin and it goes away on its own. I'm seeing my 5th gastroenterologist on Monday. I've had my gallbladder removed, 2 endoscopies, multiple ct scans and I've eaten radioactive eggs. Everyone's stumped. I was just in the ER this past Sunday.

I don't know what to tell you other than I feel for you. Just keep trying. And Google is your friend. You may not be able to diagnose yourself but maybe find some info regarding your symptoms or what not.

gl

Willravel · 06-11-2009, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeraph

They do that already Will, as far as I know. They all have my records. I doubt I could get them to meet face to face for an actual debate. If only.

Is there any way you could have a 3-way/4-way/5-way call with them? They need to do their damn jobs.

squeeeb · 06-11-2009, 05:49 PM

dude, i'm truly sorry to hear this and i hope you get some answers.

one thing you must remember - health care is a BUSINESS, it's about making money. sure some doctors and nurses want to help others and save lives and there is some altruism involved, but ultimately, its about cash flow. hospitals, from the smallest small town hospital to the big city hospital, have a board of directors who make the calls and run everything. sad but true. money drives a lot of decisions. i knew a doctor who would prescribe a certain brand of medicine, which was more expensive, because she got a bonus for it. lots of people she treated seemed to have similar diagnoses and needed that medicine.

another thing you must understand is, doctors and nurses are humans. just because they are in positions of responsibility does not mean they are capable, responsible, or know exactly what they are doing. it sucks because they are dealing with people's lives, but doctors are no different than mechanics, plumbers, accountants, and carpenters. some are great at what they do, some are absolute shit, and most are mediocre, doing the best they can and just getting by, cause as long as they dont fuck up huge, they get a paycheck.

all i can say is, if it's at all possible, try another doctor. keep going to different ones until you find the one that knows his(or her) shit and you are happy with.

my mother and her brother were doctors. i hate doctors. i work in a hospital.

Zeraph · 06-11-2009, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willravel

Is there any way you could have a 3-way/4-way/5-way call with them? They need to do their damn jobs.

No its impossible (ive tried) to even get them on the phone. Can only talk to their secretaries. If I ask to talk to them they just say I need to come in to see the doctor.

Lasereth · 06-12-2009, 04:37 AM

Congratulations, you're now admitted into the Doctors Are Full Of Shit Club.

I've had Dysguesia since 2000 and it took them 5 years to find out what was wrong. The first 3 doctors thought I was making it up/it was in my head, or it was allergies, or I was too stressed. Finally a dermatologist oddly enough sent me to a neurologist and he finally found out what was wrong with me. BTW in 2003 I did research on Dysguesia and had already assumed I had it, and guess what, I was right. I even told the doctors about Dysguesia and they basically laughed at me and said move on, nothing to see here.

I had chronic hives for 9 months one year (huge post on TFP about it) and I went to 4 different doctors and was prescribed 7 different medications before they found one that worked.

This is why I never go to the doctor. I bet I go once every 3 years or so. Every single fucking time I go to the doctor, they say "it's allergies" and then I'm out $$$ for no reason.

Willravel · 06-12-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeraph

No its impossible (ive tried) to even get them on the phone. Can only talk to their secretaries. If I ask to talk to them they just say I need to come in to see the doctor.

That fucking sucks.

Are there any MDs here on TFP Zeraph could talk to?

ASU2003 · 06-12-2009, 03:58 PM

I think there needs to be a specialist hospital where all they do is take the cases that normal doctors can't figure out.

eribrav · 06-12-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASU2003

I think there needs to be a specialist hospital where all they do is take the cases that normal doctors can't figure out.

Two places that come to mind: Johns Hopkins (Baltimore) and Mayo Clinic (Minnesota).

ironman · 06-13-2009, 12:32 PM

You should try the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, I heard they have one Dr. Gregory House that although will treat you like shit, will find the nature of your illness after almost killing you at least twice in a one week span....
All jokes aside, I'd love to find a real life Dr. House. My aunt was diagnosed a multitude of illnesses for over twenty years, we even came to believe that she was hypochondriac. Six months before she died, she was diagnosed with lupus. The doctor was amazed that no other doctor would've come to that conclusion years before given her extensive medical history. My advise would be to ask all of your doctors for your medical history and take it with you to every new doctor you visit. Eventually you will find a doctor with the ability to put everything together. One last advice, never loose faith and never, ever, go to one of those BS energy healing, magnetism altering, spirit contacting SOBs.

Halanna · 06-13-2009, 03:55 PM

Well, I'm assuming you are in the United States.

I would work backward. Identify the tests you have NOT had, ie: MRI, CAT scan, different blood work, spinal tap etc. then research those tests to find the complaint that causes those tests to be performed most often.

Then make an appointment and complain of those symptoms in order to get those tests performed.

Keep a diary. Document when you are having episodes and maybe you can isolate one factor that is common to all incidents.

Good luck. I hope you get a resolution soon.

yournamehere · 06-13-2009, 04:33 PM

As far as medical science has progressed, especially in the last century or so; it still has its limitations. Doctors' egos prevent them from saying, "I don't know," so instead they use phrases like "limit the stress in your life," or "it must be an inner ear infection."

One thing for sure, though - any doctor that discourages you from seeking another opinion should be fired immediately.
Also, I wouldn't necessarily fault the ones who change their diagnosis. There's nothing wrong with coming to a different conclusion when given additional information.

Good luck.

ps - I'm no doctor, but tremors and dizziness can be caused by irregular heartbeat and/or low blood pressure. Have you had an EKG? It's a fairly inexpensive test.

high_jinx · 06-17-2009, 10:08 AM

there's a reason they call it a "practice." they're practicing. there's still a million things they don't understand about our physiology, especially when it comes to our noggins. add to that the twisted pressure to make money from health care and the narrow focus of specialists, and you're bound for some trouble. you can already guess that if you go to a surgeon, they will reccomend surgery. on top of that, a lot of times they'l run you through painful and both physically and financially draining programs "just in case".

much like finding a good mechanic for your car, you have to find a good doctor. don't be afraid to keep movin on till you're really happy with some real results. also, try out some eastern stuff if you can find it... they've been using those accupressure and herbal methods a LOT longer than we've had doctors.

Fotzlid · 06-17-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Then make an appointment and complain of those symptoms in order to get those tests performed.

Bad idea. You will get nowhere real fast once the doctors clue in that you are making stuff up. You'll have a real hard time finding a doctor that will listen to you.

Sue · 06-22-2009, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeraph

They do that already Will, as far as I know. They all have my records. I doubt I could get them to meet face to face for an actual debate. If only.

Yeah I have health insurance now. Good memory. Still doesn't make up for the emotional and logistical problems though. Why is it when doctors are an hour late I have to sit and wait for them, but when I'm late they move on and charge me 25 bucks? Where's MY 25 bucks.

Because the patients ahead of you either arrived late, which in turn makes the doctor run late, or there are patients who may have required more time for their appointment, but were not scheduled as such. Also, perhaps all their rooms were full, or there was a walk-in that they took, but shouldn't have. Dr's offices still would like for you to show up on time, even if the people ahead of you haven't.

Fotzlid · 06-22-2009, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue

Because the patients ahead of you either arrived late, which in turn makes the doctor run late, or there are patients who may have required more time for their appointment, but were not scheduled as such. Also, perhaps all their rooms were full, or there was a walk-in that they took, but shouldn't have. Dr's offices still would like for you to show up on time, even if the people ahead of you haven't.

Don't forget the 20,000 phone calls they take each day from nurses and other doctors.

Sue · 06-22-2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fotzlid

Don't forget the 20,000 phone calls they take each day from nurses and other doctors.

Right, and the pharmacies, triage calls, etc.

Zeraph · 06-23-2009, 12:24 PM

So I had to go to the ER a few days ago for an episode but one upside I was thinking was that they'd have all those nice hospital gadgets to throw a few quick and easy tests my way. Remembering the advice of someone from this thread saying I should get a quick eeg or ekg, or whatever they're called, I asked for one when the doc finally showed up. I got some smart alleck response saying I don't need it. "have you had this before?" since I said yes I guess that means its not immediately fatal and they didn't want to waste the resources. I would have argued with him but by then they had injected me with something that made me docile and sleepy.

Fuck you doctors, you don't do shit. 90% is denying the patient care. It's like if you have something that's not readily curable/known about they don't give a shit because they don't want to waste their time. Nurses do your jobs for you. I'd rather hear their advice over your BS.

06-11-2009, 03:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Disenchanted with the medical community Sorry I'm not sure how this is going to come out, may just be a rant. But tell me your experiences too, might make me feel better. So as some of you know I've had a lot of medical problems the last 4 years. They don't seem to be critical, i.e. not cancer. But they remain undiagnosed (IMO). Technically they've been diagnosed, but by different doctors as different things. Let me explain. Among my many symptoms two of them are muscle tremors and severe episodic vertigo. The psychiatrist thinks its panic attacks (that last for several days without a heartbeat increase? ><) The neurologist thinks its migraines (without any pain or auras?!!) The general practitioner thinks its labyrinthitis (recurring for years?!) and the ENT thinks its meniere's. (an exclusion diagnosis ><) Oh and my allergist thinks its...surprise! Allergies!! Oh, and this is just what they currently think. Several have changed their diagnosis. One even thought possibly epilepsy. So who am I supposed to believe? None of their diagnosis' are fully accurate nor do any of their treatments work. What's the point of going to a doc if he's only going to diagnose you based on his specialty? And getting them to try and explore other options?! Sooo draining and sometimes impossible. The worst part is they (all but one) have shown almost no sympathy or done any extra work to try and help me. If anything most have worked against me seeking extra help from other doctors. I'm getting so frustrated.

06-11-2009, 05:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
squeeeb part of the problem Location: hic et ubique	dude, i'm truly sorry to hear this and i hope you get some answers. one thing you must remember - health care is a BUSINESS, it's about making money. sure some doctors and nurses want to help others and save lives and there is some altruism involved, but ultimately, its about cash flow. hospitals, from the smallest small town hospital to the big city hospital, have a board of directors who make the calls and run everything. sad but true. money drives a lot of decisions. i knew a doctor who would prescribe a certain brand of medicine, which was more expensive, because she got a bonus for it. lots of people she treated seemed to have similar diagnoses and needed that medicine. another thing you must understand is, doctors and nurses are humans. just because they are in positions of responsibility does not mean they are capable, responsible, or know exactly what they are doing. it sucks because they are dealing with people's lives, but doctors are no different than mechanics, plumbers, accountants, and carpenters. some are great at what they do, some are absolute shit, and most are mediocre, doing the best they can and just getting by, cause as long as they dont fuck up huge, they get a paycheck. all i can say is, if it's at all possible, try another doctor. keep going to different ones until you find the one that knows his(or her) shit and you are happy with. my mother and her brother were doctors. i hate doctors. i work in a hospital. __________________ onward to mayhem! Last edited by squeeeb; 06-11-2009 at 05:52 PM..

06-12-2009, 04:37 AM	#10 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	Congratulations, you're now admitted into the Doctors Are Full Of Shit Club. I've had Dysguesia since 2000 and it took them 5 years to find out what was wrong. The first 3 doctors thought I was making it up/it was in my head, or it was allergies, or I was too stressed. Finally a dermatologist oddly enough sent me to a neurologist and he finally found out what was wrong with me. BTW in 2003 I did research on Dysguesia and had already assumed I had it, and guess what, I was right. I even told the doctors about Dysguesia and they basically laughed at me and said move on, nothing to see here. I had chronic hives for 9 months one year (huge post on TFP about it) and I went to 4 different doctors and was prescribed 7 different medications before they found one that worked. This is why I never go to the doctor. I bet I go once every 3 years or so. Every single fucking time I go to the doctor, they say "it's allergies" and then I'm out $$$ for no reason. __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

06-13-2009, 12:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
ironman Smithers, release the hounds Location: Guatemala, Guatemala	You should try the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, I heard they have one Dr. Gregory House that although will treat you like shit, will find the nature of your illness after almost killing you at least twice in a one week span.... All jokes aside, I'd love to find a real life Dr. House. My aunt was diagnosed a multitude of illnesses for over twenty years, we even came to believe that she was hypochondriac. Six months before she died, she was diagnosed with lupus. The doctor was amazed that no other doctor would've come to that conclusion years before given her extensive medical history. My advise would be to ask all of your doctors for your medical history and take it with you to every new doctor you visit. Eventually you will find a doctor with the ability to put everything together. One last advice, never loose faith and never, ever, go to one of those BS energy healing, magnetism altering, spirit contacting SOBs. __________________ If I agreed with you we´d both be wrong

06-13-2009, 04:33 PM	#16 (permalink)
yournamehere Invisible Location: tentative, at best	As far as medical science has progressed, especially in the last century or so; it still has its limitations. Doctors' egos prevent them from saying, "I don't know," so instead they use phrases like "limit the stress in your life," or "it must be an inner ear infection." One thing for sure, though - any doctor that discourages you from seeking another opinion should be fired immediately. Also, I wouldn't necessarily fault the ones who change their diagnosis. There's nothing wrong with coming to a different conclusion when given additional information. Good luck. ps - I'm no doctor, but tremors and dizziness can be caused by irregular heartbeat and/or low blood pressure. Have you had an EKG? It's a fairly inexpensive test. __________________ If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors: "If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too." It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.

06-11-2009, 03:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Off the top of my head, I'd suggest they call each other and compare notes. Let them all put their heads together and see if they can do what they're getting paid to do: to heal you. I hope everything ends up well.

06-11-2009, 03:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
Xerxys Junkie Location: My head.	I'm sorry to hear about this Zeraph ... one thing though, I am glad you have been seeing professionals but I bite my tongue in the thought of how much trouble you must go through or how much it must cost you for all these 'opinions' alone. Did you ever get health insurance?? I did in fact read the title of the thread it said "disenchanted" but seriously now ... if your going to get better, you need this.

06-11-2009, 04:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	They do that already Will, as far as I know. They all have my records. I doubt I could get them to meet face to face for an actual debate. If only. Yeah I have health insurance now. Good memory. Still doesn't make up for the emotional and logistical problems though. Why is it when doctors are an hour late I have to sit and wait for them, but when I'm late they move on and charge me 25 bucks? Where's MY 25 bucks.

06-11-2009, 04:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
Glory's Sun Registered User	ahh I completely know what you mean. I've been disenchanted for years now. Even one of the top medical institutions in the nation can't figure it out. One doctor being sued, many others baffled and still nothing. What a wonderful little piece of work we are eh?

06-11-2009, 04:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
wooÐs Sitting in a tree Location: Atlanta	I'm with you. I've been dealing with something since 2003. Unexplained upper abdominal pain that has me kicking, screaming and crying like a baby. It comes out of the blue with no rhyme or reason except possibly stress - not diet or anything. I just end up in the ER, get my sweet shot of dilaudid and I'm then sent home with vicodin and it goes away on its own. I'm seeing my 5th gastroenterologist on Monday. I've had my gallbladder removed, 2 endoscopies, multiple ct scans and I've eaten radioactive eggs. Everyone's stumped. I was just in the ER this past Sunday. I don't know what to tell you other than I feel for you. Just keep trying. And Google is your friend. You may not be able to diagnose yourself but maybe find some info regarding your symptoms or what not. gl

06-12-2009, 03:58 PM	#12 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	I think there needs to be a specialist hospital where all they do is take the cases that normal doctors can't figure out.

06-13-2009, 03:55 PM	#15 (permalink)
Halanna Insane Location: Over the rainbow . .	Well, I'm assuming you are in the United States. I would work backward. Identify the tests you have NOT had, ie: MRI, CAT scan, different blood work, spinal tap etc. then research those tests to find the complaint that causes those tests to be performed most often. Then make an appointment and complain of those symptoms in order to get those tests performed. Keep a diary. Document when you are having episodes and maybe you can isolate one factor that is common to all incidents. Good luck. I hope you get a resolution soon.

06-17-2009, 10:08 AM	#17 (permalink)
high_jinx Psycho Location: venice beach, ca	there's a reason they call it a "practice." they're practicing. there's still a million things they don't understand about our physiology, especially when it comes to our noggins. add to that the twisted pressure to make money from health care and the narrow focus of specialists, and you're bound for some trouble. you can already guess that if you go to a surgeon, they will reccomend surgery. on top of that, a lot of times they'l run you through painful and both physically and financially draining programs "just in case". much like finding a good mechanic for your car, you have to find a good doctor. don't be afraid to keep movin on till you're really happy with some real results. also, try out some eastern stuff if you can find it... they've been using those accupressure and herbal methods a LOT longer than we've had doctors. __________________ -my phobia drowned while i was gettin down.

06-23-2009, 12:24 PM	#22 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	So I had to go to the ER a few days ago for an episode but one upside I was thinking was that they'd have all those nice hospital gadgets to throw a few quick and easy tests my way. Remembering the advice of someone from this thread saying I should get a quick eeg or ekg, or whatever they're called, I asked for one when the doc finally showed up. I got some smart alleck response saying I don't need it. "have you had this before?" since I said yes I guess that means its not immediately fatal and they didn't want to waste the resources. I would have argued with him but by then they had injected me with something that made me docile and sleepy. Fuck you doctors, you don't do shit. 90% is denying the patient care. It's like if you have something that's not readily curable/known about they don't give a shit because they don't want to waste their time. Nurses do your jobs for you. I'd rather hear their advice over your BS.